The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-09-01

gether with such other information as shall
satisfy the subscriber aforesaid that said re-
spondent is the true and lawful owner thereof,
the handbag before mentioned will be duly re-
turned on the payment Of the sum Of five dol
lars, 10 cover expenses Of advertising. etc.
(Signed) CAPTAIN JETHRO FLAGG.
Residence, Bixport, State of Maine"
Having finished this rather remarka-
bic production, Captain Flagg read it
aloud for the ediication of Tad and
Joe Whitney, who had just returned
from the kitchen.
faint the way I'd put it, Uncle
Jeth.'' remarked the irrepressible Joe,
with his mouth full of doughnut and
a suspicious bunchiness about his
pockets, as Captain Flagg laid down
the paper with ? look of conscious
pride I'D just say: Found in Broad
Street station, Philadelphia. on such
and-such nigf o handbag. Prove
Property and pay charges. Address
Captain Jethro Flagg, Bixport,
Maine"
Captain Flagg regarded his auda-
cious nephew with look in which
mild ,ldignation was blended with
pity. "Mebbe YOU would, Joseph" he
said. with some severity, 'mebbe you
would; but, coEsiderin' that I'm jest a
few years older'n you, I've took the
liberty of dom this my own way"
"All right, Uncle Jeth, returned
the unabashed youth, IF yo1 don't
mind, don't, I'm sure. Say, Tad"
he remarked. briskly, turning to the
secretly amused youth, how'd you
like me to go over to Miss Smiths in
the morning and speak good word
for You, eh?"
I'D like YOU to 90 with me ever so
much, warmly replied Tad. He did
not rely much upon Joe's verbal rec
Ommendation, but he had a sort OF
feeling that the moral support of his
presence would be great deal.
III call for you right after break
fast" briefly returned Joe, with twin
kle in the eye, that. had Polly been
present, she would have understood at
once to mean mischief. But she was
helping Mrs. Flagg with supper prep
arations, and the Captain was busy
sending off the copies of his notice to
a couple of city papers, SO Tad had no
warning as to Joe Whitney's love of
practical jokes. And all the way home
Joe chol,ed down certain little twinges
of conscience, by representing to him.
self that it was "Only little fun, any
way" an excuse which l fancy has
been common to mischievous youth
from the tabled stoning of the frogs
down to the present day.
Miss Smith was " shOoing" some
hens out of her yard as Joe came by
the house, and he at once volunteered
his services with marked success. Send
ing the last hen shrieking across the
street with a stick following closely at
her tail-feathers, Joe closed the gate
carefully.
"Oh, 1 say, Miss Smith," he re-
marked, as he was turning away, Il
told Tad-the boy that Uncle Jeth
brought home this trip-that I'd come
over with him in the morning
sort of bashful with strangers"
"Nobody'd accuse yOw of any thing
Oh the kind, Joe Whitney," was Miss
Smiths uncompromising answer. She
was tall, thin, angular and forty, with
a good heart, but rather uncertain tenn
per- And Joe was not prime favor
tie with Miss Smith, by reason of
his rather peculiar tendencies to mis-
chief
"Tad's real good boy, guess"
said Joe, ignoring the personality, ''but
if he's as hard of hearin' as Uncle Jeth
says-for heard him say Tad was def
as haddock--you'll have to holler like
old boots to make him hear" And,
without waiting to be questioned far
Their, Joe scudded homeward.
True to his promise, Joe was on
hand bright and early on the following
morning. Captain Flagg had gone
down to superintend the discharge Of
the Mary Us" cargo, and Mrs.
Flagg was in the kitchen. Only Polly
and Bounce followed the two boys to
the gate.
Remember, now! no tricks-Joe,"
called out Polly, warningly; 'good
luck to you Tad" and she waved her
hand encouagingly, as the latter
turned with a very full heart, to look
back at the old home whose occupants
had given him so friendly reception.
"Oh, isn't this nice!' said Tad. en-
Enthusiastically, as he drew in great
breath of the sweet, pure air, and
looked at the quiet beauty of the land
scape about him. Behind the village
rose range of spruce and pine COW
cred hills. All round were fertile
farms, and, in the eyes of the city-bred
boy, Bixport and its surroundings
seemed sort of miniature Paradise.
Not so bad" patronizingly assent
ed his companion. And as they crossed
a small stone bridge which spanned a
deep narrow stream, Joe stopped and
peeped scrutinizingly over the rail, at
the dark current below.
81 guess the waters warm enough
to try the trout-tO-morrow' Satur-
day, and if Miss Smith'll let you off in
the afternoon-if she hires you-what
do you say if we 20 trouting?"
Say! What would any boy say to such
proposition-particularly a boywho had
never before been outside city walls?
but may be Miss Smith won't hire
me-" suggested Tad. little anxiously,
after having expressed rapturous
readiness to accompany his newly